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Imperial Code of Justice

Book II — Crimes Against Persons

Enacted by the Imperial Senate pursuant to the Imperial Charter and granted Imperial Assent by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Draco Tanos.

Book II establishes the offenses committed directly against sapient life, liberty, dignity, bodily integrity, and familial responsibility. Its provisions protect every sapient being subject to Imperial jurisdiction from unlawful violence, exploitation, coercion, abuse, enslavement, and trafficking.

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Title I — Offenses Against Life

Article 101 — Murder
A person commits Murder when they intentionally and unlawfully cause the death of a sapient being.

Murder shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 102 — Aggravated Murder
A person commits Aggravated Murder when Murder is committed under one or more of the following circumstances:

• Against a minor;
• Against a public official acting in the performance of duty;
• Against a member of the Imperial Armed Forces acting in the performance of duty;
• Against a member of the Imperial Order acting in the performance of duty;
• For financial gain;
• During the commission of another serious felony;
• Through torture or extreme cruelty;
• Through an act of terrorism;
• As part of an organized criminal enterprise;
• Against multiple victims.

Aggravated Murder shall constitute a Class V Felony of the highest degree.

Article 103 — Manslaughter
A person commits Manslaughter when they unlawfully cause the death of a sapient being without premeditation or malicious intent.

Manslaughter shall constitute a Class IV Felony.

Article 104 — Criminal Negligence Resulting in Death
A person commits Criminal Negligence Resulting in Death when gross negligence or reckless disregard for safety causes the death of another sapient being.

This offense shall constitute a Class III or Class IV Felony depending upon the circumstances.

Article 105 — Assassination
A person commits Assassination when they intentionally kill or attempt to kill the Emperor, a member of the Imperial Family, a Senator, judge, governor, military commander, or other public official for political, ideological, criminal, or organizational purposes.

Assassination shall constitute a Class V Felony. Attempted Assassination shall constitute a Class IV or Class V Felony.

Title II — Offenses Against Bodily Integrity

Article 106 — Assault
A person commits Assault when they intentionally inflict, attempt to inflict, or knowingly cause unlawful physical injury upon another sapient being.

Assault shall constitute a Class II or Class III offense depending upon the harm caused.

Article 107 — Aggravated Assault
Assault shall be aggravated when:

• A deadly weapon is used;
• Serious bodily injury results;
• Multiple offenders participate;
• The victim is particularly vulnerable;
• The offense is committed against a public official or first responder performing lawful duties;
• The offense is motivated by species-based hatred or other unlawful prejudice.

Aggravated Assault shall constitute a Class III or Class IV Felony.

Article 108 — Torture
A person commits Torture when they intentionally inflict severe physical or psychological suffering upon another sapient being for punishment, coercion, intimidation, information gathering, or personal gratification.

Torture shall constitute a Class V Felony.

No emergency, military order, governmental position, or public office shall constitute a defense to Torture, except where narrowly authorized by Imperial Law for lawful medical or protective purposes.

Article 109 — Reckless Endangerment
A person commits Reckless Endangerment when they knowingly engage in conduct creating a substantial and unjustifiable risk of death or serious injury to another.

Reckless Endangerment shall constitute a Class II or Class III offense.

Title III — Offenses Against Liberty

Article 110 — Unlawful Detention
A person commits Unlawful Detention when they knowingly restrain, confine, or prevent the movement of another sapient being without lawful authority or consent.

This offense shall constitute a Class III Felony.

Article 111 — Abduction
A person commits Abduction when they unlawfully seize, transport, conceal, or confine another sapient being against their will.

Abduction shall constitute a Class IV Felony.

Article 112 — Aggravated Abduction
Abduction shall be aggravated when:

• The victim is a minor;
• The victim suffers serious injury;
• The victim is transported across planetary, system, sector, or Imperial borders;
• The offense is committed for ransom, slavery, trafficking, terrorism, or political coercion;
• The victim is a public official or member of the Imperial Armed Forces acting in the performance of duty.

Aggravated Abduction shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 113 — Hostage Taking
A person commits Hostage Taking when they unlawfully detain another sapient being to compel action, payment, concession, or restraint by a government, organization, corporation, family, or individual.

Hostage Taking shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Title IV — Offenses Against Dignity and Freedom

Article 114 — Slavery
A person commits Slavery when they claim ownership over a sapient being, purchase or sell a sapient being, hold a sapient being as property, or exercise the rights of ownership over a sapient being.

Slavery shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 115 — Aggravated Slavery
Slavery shall be aggravated when:

• Multiple victims are involved;
• Minors are involved;
• The offense is organized or commercial in nature;
• Torture, sexual abuse, mutilation, or serious physical abuse occurs;
• The offense crosses sector or Imperial borders;
• The offender is a public official or abuses a position of authority.

Aggravated Slavery shall constitute a Class V Felony of the highest degree.

Article 116 — Trafficking in Sapient Beings
A person commits Trafficking in Sapient Beings when they recruit, transport, transfer, harbor, receive, purchase, sell, or otherwise exploit a sapient being for:

• Slavery;
• Forced labor;
• Sexual exploitation;
• Criminal activity;
• Unlawful experimentation;
• Organ harvesting;
• Military exploitation;
• Any other unlawful purpose.

Trafficking in Sapient Beings shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 117 — Forced Labor
A person commits Forced Labor when they compel another sapient being to work through unlawful coercion, violence, threats, fraud, debt bondage, confiscation of identity documents, or restraint.

This offense shall constitute a Class IV or Class V Felony.

Lawfully imposed penal labor pursuant to judicial sentence shall not constitute Forced Labor.

Article 118 — Crimes Against Sapient Dignity
No sapient being shall be treated as property under Imperial Law.

Any offense seeking to deprive a sapient being of legal personhood, freedom, or recognition as a person shall be construed as an aggravating circumstance in sentencing.

Title V — Sexual Offenses and Exploitation

Article 119 — Sexual Assault
A person commits Sexual Assault when they engage in a sexual act with another sapient being without that person's freely given and informed consent.

Sexual Assault shall constitute a Class IV or Class V Felony depending upon the circumstances.

Article 120 — Aggravated Sexual Assault
Sexual Assault shall be aggravated when:

• Serious bodily injury results;
• A deadly weapon is used;
• Multiple offenders participate;
• The victim is unlawfully restrained;
• The offense occurs during another felony;
• The offender occupies a position of trust, command, or authority over the victim;
• The victim is a minor or otherwise unable to consent.

Aggravated Sexual Assault shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 121 — Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
A person commits Sexual Exploitation of a Minor when they engage in sexual conduct, attempt sexual conduct, solicit sexual conduct, or exploit a minor for sexual purposes.

Sexual Exploitation of a Minor shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 122 — Production or Distribution of Exploitative Materials
A person commits this offense when they create, distribute, possess with intent to distribute, or profit from materials depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.

This offense shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 123 — Coercive Sexual Conduct
A person commits Coercive Sexual Conduct when they obtain sexual activity through threats, blackmail, abuse of authority, fraudulent misrepresentation, coercion, or intimidation without resorting to direct physical force.

This offense shall constitute a Class IV Felony.

Article 124 — Abuse of Custodial Authority
A person commits Abuse of Custodial Authority when they exploit a governmental, military, educational, medical, religious, correctional, or other custodial position to obtain sexual favors or engage in sexual misconduct.

This offense shall constitute a Class IV or Class V Felony.

Article 125 — Commercial Sexual Exploitation
A person commits Commercial Sexual Exploitation when they profit from, organize, compel, facilitate, or manage the unlawful sexual exploitation of another sapient being.

This offense shall constitute a Class V Felony.

Article 126 — Consent
Consent must be freely given, informed, and voluntary.

Consent obtained through force, coercion, intimidation, deception, incapacitation, unlawful restraint, abuse of authority, or legal inability to consent shall be invalid.

Article 127 — Protection of Victims
Courts and public authorities shall take reasonable measures to protect victims of sexual offenses from intimidation, retaliation, harassment, or unnecessary public exposure.

The safety, welfare, and dignity of victims shall remain important considerations throughout investigation and judicial proceedings.

Title VI — Offenses Against the Family and Dependents

Article 128 — Child Abuse
A person commits Child Abuse when they intentionally or recklessly inflict physical, emotional, psychological, or developmental harm upon a minor under their care or authority.

Child Abuse shall constitute a Class III, Class IV, or Class V Felony depending upon severity.

Article 129 — Child Neglect
A person commits Child Neglect when they fail to provide reasonable care, protection, supervision, medical attention, nourishment, shelter, or education to a minor for whom they bear legal responsibility.

This offense shall constitute a Class II, Class III, or Class IV offense depending upon severity.

Article 130 — Child Endangerment
A person commits Child Endangerment when they knowingly place a minor in circumstances likely to result in injury, exploitation, abuse, trafficking, criminal activity, or death.

This offense shall constitute a Class III or Class IV Felony.

Article 131 — Unlawful Abandonment
A person commits Unlawful Abandonment when they abandon a minor, dependent, infirm person, or other individual under their lawful care without making reasonable provision for safety and welfare.

This offense shall constitute a Class III or Class IV offense.

Article 132 — Familial Exploitation
A person commits Familial Exploitation when they abuse a position of familial or custodial authority to facilitate slavery, trafficking, criminal activity, sexual exploitation, forced labor, or another serious offense against a dependent person.

This offense shall constitute a Class IV or Class V Felony.

Article 133 — Duty of Care
Parents, guardians, custodians, medical caretakers, and others entrusted with the care of dependents bear a legal duty to protect those under their responsibility.

Failure to discharge that duty may constitute an offense under Imperial Law.

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